Bees at Lake Tota

Background

In recent years, the number of bees in the catchment area of Lake Tota has declined dramatically. Nowadays it is very difficult to find beehives in this region. There are also no beekeepers at all in the catchment area. As a result, there has been a drastic decrease in the pollination of native plants, which has a direct impact on the quality of the ecosystem. This has also been encouraged by the destruction of the ecosystem by humans.

Project Goals

The project objective is to protect and restore the sustainable use of beehives in wetlands. To this end, beehives will be placed in the catchment area of Lake Tota and farmers will be trained in beekeeping as an alternative source of income. To support the bee population, native plants are reforested in the catchment area to serve both as a source of food and to increase the biodiversity of the Tota Lake region. The long-term goals are to increase environmental awareness and to support disadvantaged families in the catchment area.

Project Activities

With the financial support 10 beehives will be established in the catchment area of Lake Tota. In addition, at least 500 native plant species will be reforested to generate a higher ecological diversity. Further, professional support and advice for bee hive management will be sought. To this end, at least four workshops with local communities and schools in the region are to be organised. Various educational tools such as flyers, posters and web links will be made available to disseminate knowledge about the relationship between bee production and ecosystems.